


Spinning a Yarn

by RadiantSeraphina (Lady_Arrowwood)



Category: Kirby (Video Games), Kirby - All Media Types, Kirby's Epic Yarn
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M, Sleeping Beauty Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 09:13:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15482511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Arrowwood/pseuds/RadiantSeraphina
Summary: King Dedede and Meta Knight are attending a celebration for Patch Land's newborn prince when tragedy strikes; the young prince is cursed by the wicked sorcerer Yin-Yarn. Although Meta Knight manages to amend the sorcerer's curse, the poor prince is doomed to prick his paw on a spinning wheel and fall into an eternal slumber, from which he can only be awakened with true love's kiss.Because Patch Land's economy is so heavily invested in the textile industry, destroying all the spinning wheels in the kingdom simply isn't practical. Fortunately, the king of Patch Land has a brilliant, albeit heart-breaking idea: give the young child to their closest allies to raise.What could possibly go wrong?





	Spinning a Yarn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [splatoonjoycon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/splatoonjoycon/gifts).



> Based on some conversations I'd had with various people before on my Tumblr, floating around the idea of a Sleeping Beauty AU with Kirby and Prince Fluff.

Quilty Square was usually bustling, but today, it was especially busy. The newborn Prince Fluff was to be officially introduced to the world, so royals from all over were currently in attendance to welcome the young prince into the world. King Dedede, clad in his finest and most royal regalia, swept into his new apartments. They were grand, every inch of wall covered in elaborately woven tapestries. A magnificently soft and luxurious rug stretched across the floor and felt like a cloud beneath Dedede's feet. He spun around, looking them over, and satisfied that they were befitting of a foreign royal like himself, he bounded face-first onto the bed. Dedede stretched and groaned. It’d been a long trip from Dreamland to Patch Land, and it was nice to bury his face into the soft down and woven fabric. No one could beat Patch Land when it came to textiles.

 

Dedede heard the apartments’ door close, and he rolled onto his side, propping a feathered cheek upon his paw. Meta Knight, Dedede’s best knight, padded across the room. The knight’s bright gold eyes surveyed every inch of the apartments, doubtlessly searching for any potential intruders. And possibly bugs. Meta Knight had been wary of insects and arachnids ever since Queen Sectonia, the wasp-queen of Floralia, had ordered her spider-like servant to abduct Dedede.

 

“I don’t think you gotta look over everythin’ so closely,” Dedede drawled. “If someone’s gonna try an’ kill us or kidnap us, I doubt it’s the royalty o’ Patch Land.”

 

Patch Land was Dreamland’s oldest and staunchest ally, and there had never been any conflict between the two nations. Patch Land exported their luxurious, beautiful fabrics in return for Dreamland’s produce, and any disagreements—usually quite small—were resolved through diplomacy. Aside from the occasional friendly tournament, neither kingdom had raised a blade against the other in living memory.

 

“Perhaps not,” Meta Knight replied, although he still went about systemically surveying the room.

 

Dedede sighed. “Cain’t you jus’ come lay down for a sec? I’m tired, so I know you gotta be tired tromping all the way here in that heavy armor. C’mon, Mety.”

 

Meta Knight hummed and climbed onto the bed. “If you get assassinated, don’t blame me,” the knight said. "I'll ascend your throne without a second thought, my liege."

 

“I'd never blame you, an' I know you would.”

 

The knight rolled onto his belly, stretched out his wings, and sighed. Dedede sat upright and carefully unstrapped one of the sabatons. “I’m capable of removing my own armor,” Meta Knight said, leaning up slightly.

 

“Yeah, I know, but we’re gonna nap. And _last time_ you slept in bed with me in full armor, you kicked me in the side, and I had a bruise for weeks,” Dedede replied.

 

It hadn't really been that large of a bruise, but it was the principle of it.

 

“I don’t recall agreeing to a nap,” Meta Knight said.

 

“I didn’t ask you to agree,” Dedede shot back. “I’m tellin’ you that you’re gonna do it, and ‘cause I’m your liege, you ain’t got a choice.”

 

“Careful,” Meta Knight said, narrowing his eyes.

 

“Careful yourself,” Dedede replied, making a point to gently lower the piece of armor onto the ground.

 

And although Meta Knight sighed, he made no attempt to impede Dedede’s efforts. The king removed Meta Knight’s other sabaton and pauldrons with practiced ease. As Dedede fiddled with the straps of his mask, Meta Knight chuckled. “You’re good at this,” the knight said. “Maybe you should be my servant.”

 

Dedede set the mask aside. “Sorry, coffee cake,” Dedede said. “I know I cain't do all for you that you do for me. You’re just gonna have to deal with me bein’ your liege.”

 

Meta Knight hummed.

 

Dedede traced a thumb over one of Meta Knight’s pale blush-marks. “Will that work for you, little knight?” Dedede asked.

 

“I guess it’ll have to,” Meta Knight replied.

 

Dedede smiled and threw the blankets over them. Then, he pulled Meta Knight close to his chest and rubbed his beak against the top of his head.

 

“Sorry, dear,” Dedede said. “At least, I treat you good, eh?”

 

“Hardly. You barely pay me—”

 

“You live in a _castle_ ,” Dedede said. “You got servants that’ll do anything you want. You got a giant battleship. An army. All the food you could ever want—”

 

“But _sometimes_ ,” Meta Knight interrupted, “What a knight _really_ needs is funding for a new suit of armor.”

 

“Maybe you’d have money for armor if you didn’t spend it all on sugary confectionaries,” Dedede teased.

 

“You’re no fun,” Meta Knight said.

 

Dedede shook with laughter and snuggled closer to Meta Knight, who always smelled of something cold and sharp, like the first breath of winter. A low purr rumbled from Meta Knight’s throat, and despite his earlier protests, he seemed content to bury himself in the plumage over Dedede’s chest.

 

Meta Knight fell asleep quickly, emitting tiny bat-like chirps rather than snores. With a small smile, Dedede petted the knight’s head. He traced along the elegant spider-like pattern of Meta Knight’s wings and the soft blush-marks like tiny rosebuds. Such an adorable, little knight. Dedede sighed. “I love you,” Dedede murmured.

 

And dear Meta Knight slept obliviously on. Not that it mattered much. Had the knight been awake, he probably wouldn’t have understood _just_ how earnestly the confession was meant to be. Meta Knight wouldn't recognize love if it slapped him with a broadsword.

 

* * *

 

 

While the days leading to the prince’s formal introduction were busy for the people of Quilty Square, Sir Meta Knight of Dreamland was languishing from boredom. It wasn’t that he detested spending time with his doting liege. It was just that Meta Knight, himself, never stopped working. He woke before dawn every morning and led all the patrols to secure Dreamland’s borders. He negotiated foreign trade and policies, managed the kingdom’s financial records, and ensured that both the Meta-Knights and the _Halberd_ were ship-shape. And lately, he’d taken on the additional duty of mentoring Kirby, an orphaned puffball who’d been left at the castle gates. And now, Meta Knight was in Patch Land with absolutely nothing pressing to do.

 

It made his skin itch, and no amount of insistence that he _just relax, calm down, enjoy the celebrations_ could persuade Meta Knight that he really ought to just relax.

 

He occupied himself by following Dedede around and listening to the gossip.

 

Dedede was in his element here, his usual energy magnified with the promise of celebrations. He bounded through Quilty Square, leaving Meta Knight, wrapped in his cape, to trail behind.

 

“C’mon, Meta!” Dedede exclaimed.

 

The king pawed at Meta Knight’s cape, and after a few seconds, Meta Knight relented and extended his paw. Grinning victoriously, the pair went along, Dedede swinging their paws as they walked.

 

“So what kinda blessing are you gonna bestow ‘pon the prince?” Dedede asked.

 

It was customary for the aristocracy of Patch Land to give blessings to their newborn princes and princesses. Although the blessings were often only words—for not everyone had the magic to cast a true, binding blessing—they were still taken very seriously. It would be an unforgivable _faux pas_ for a nobleman to wish something ill upon the new heir of Patch Land’s throne. As high-ranking allies of the kingdom, Dedede and Meta Knight, by virtue of being the Wielder of Galaxia, had been granted the honor of giving their own blessings to the young prince.

 

“I was considering victory in battle,” Meta Knight replied, “Not that it would do him much good.”

 

Patch Land hadn’t seen a war in a thousand years or more. Not since the villainous sorcerer Yin-Yarn had been exiled from the kingdom, so the only use the young prince would have for such a gift would be in informal or ceremonial duels. Personally, Meta Knight still thought _that_ would be an excellent gift, but he didn’t want to appear as if he was giving the prince a marginally useful blessing.

 

“True,” Dedede said. “I was thinkin’ strategic thinking myself.”

 

“That would be useful,” Meta Knight conceded. “I might opt for tenacity.”

 

“Y’know,” Dedede replied, “With Galaxia, your blessin’ might actually _do_ something.”

 

“I don’t know if _blessing children_ is her specialty,” Meta Knight said.

 

In Meta Knight’s mind, Galaxia shifted to awareness and moved to the forefront of his thoughts. A bit of warmth passed over Meta Knight when she did. _I’ve never tried,_ Galaxia murmured, her voice soft and light.

 

“I suppose we’ll find out, then,” Meta Knight replied.

 

_Indeed,_ Galaxia replied, _Although it’s only ceremony. Perhaps, these blessings once meant something, but now..._

Dedede cleared his throat in a transparent attempt to remind them he was there. Meta Knight smiled beneath his mask. “Are you jealous that I’m talking to my magical sword, my liege?” Meta Knight teased.

 

“No, I jus’ don’t like being left out is all,” Dedede replied.

 

“I apologize,” Meta Knight replied, although he wasn’t really sorry. “In the future, I’ll endeavor to involve you more in my conversations.”

 

“No, you won’t,” Dedede said.

 

Meta Knight chuckled and nudged Dedede’s arm with his pauldron. “Be nice, or I’ll let a dragon eat you,” Meta Knight said.

 

“Uh huh. Sure,” Dedede replied, rolling his eyes. “Because the dragons are just _all_ over Patch Land, ain’t they?”

 

Meta Knight hummed. “Just because you haven’t seen one doesn’t mean they aren’t here, my liege.”

 

“And because ain’t no one seen any?”

 

“You never know,” Meta Knight replied. “I’ve heard some who had claimed my entire race was extinct.”

 

“And here you are,” Dedede said. “For the record, I’m glad they were all wrong.”

 

Meta Knight’s mouth quirked into a rare, genuine smile, which remained hidden by his armor. As much as he detested the inactivity, he did—maybe—enjoy these quiet, little moments with his king, and they wouldn’t be staying much longer anyway. A week at most. Just long enough to welcome Patch Land’s newest royal into the world. Then, everything would resume as normal.

 

 


End file.
